Getting a Marriage License in Bucks County
A marriage license in Bucks County is issued by the Register of Wills, which also serves as the Clerk of Orphans' Court. The same office handles marriage records and copies of marriage certificates. The county groups all three tasks on one page: apply for a license, search marriage records, and request a copy of a certificate. So whether you are about to wed or you need proof of an old marriage, the path starts at the same place.
Pennsylvania sets the core rules, and Bucks County follows them. There is generally a three-day waiting period after you apply, which means the license is not handed over the same day. No blood test is required. Both applicants must meet the state's age and consent rules. The license must be returned to the county and recorded after the ceremony, so the marriage shows up in the public record.
One option surprises some couples. Pennsylvania, and Bucks County with it, recognizes a self-uniting license. That kind of license lets the couple marry without a minister or judge, and the two signatures plus witnesses complete the union. It grew out of Quaker practice and remains valid statewide.
How to Apply for a Marriage License
Plan a little before you start. Both people in the couple take part in the application, and the waiting period means you should apply more than a few days before the wedding. The county lets you begin online, which can save a trip. Have your identification and your basic personal details ready so the process moves without a hold-up.
- Start on the county Marriage Licenses and Certificates page, which links each task in one spot.
- Choose "Apply for a marriage license" to open the Register of Wills application.
- Complete the online application or the in-office process through the Register of Wills.
- Provide the required identification and applicant information for both people.
- Pay the license fee set by the Register of Wills.
- Observe the three-day waiting period, unless a court grants a waiver.
- Have the ceremony performed by an authorized officiant, or use a self-uniting license.
- Make sure the signed license is returned and recorded with the county after the ceremony.
Note: The license is not valid until it is issued, and it will not appear in the record until the signed copy is returned and recorded by the county.
Marriage License Application Fields
The exact live form fields are not published by the county, so use the table below as a general guide to what each applicant provides. The application follows the Register of Wills process, and both people supply their own details. The list below covers the kinds of information an applicant should be ready to give, not the precise labels on the screen. Bring more than you think you need, since missing items can stall the request.
| Information You Provide | Typically Needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Legal Name | Yes | For both applicants, as it appears on your identification. |
| Date of Birth | Yes | Used to confirm you meet the state's age and consent rules. |
| Valid Photo Identification | Yes | Provided by each applicant through the Register of Wills process. |
| Current Address | Yes | Contact and residence details for each person. |
| Prior Marriages | Yes | Status of any earlier marriage, including how it ended. |
| License Fee Payment | Yes | Paid to the Register of Wills when you apply. |
Because the application runs through the Register of Wills, the office can confirm the current list of items before you apply. When in doubt, check with the county so you bring the right papers the first time.
Bucks County Marriage and Divorce Fees
Fees for marriage records come from the Register of Wills fee bill, which took effect October 1, 2025. Most of these charges cover certifications and searches rather than the license itself. A copy of a marriage certificate follows the office's certification fees, so the cost depends on the type of certification and the page count. The table sets out the published amounts.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Affidavit | $25 |
| Certification (filed or issued) | $25 plus $1 per page |
| Certification of notice, paper filed | $25 |
| Certification of notice, electronically filed | No charge |
| Genealogical index search (per name, records 1684 to 1950) | $25 |
The marriage certificate copy is a certification, so plan on the certification rate plus the per-page charge. Divorce fees are not part of the Register of Wills fee bill, since divorce files belong to a different office. For the cost of a certified decree or agreement copy, contact the Prothonotary Family Division, which sets those charges. Genealogy researchers should note the index search covers a long window, from 1684 to 1950.
How to Look Up Bucks County Marriage Records
The county makes marriage records searchable from the same Marriage Licenses and Certificates page that handles applications. The page links a public marriage-record search, which runs through the county's online tools. You do not have to visit Doylestown just to confirm that a marriage was recorded. A name search is usually enough to find the file.
The search uses the Web Viewer, the county's public portal, reached through the county's ProPublic site. Register of Wills case numbers follow the XXXX-XXXXX format and drop the 09 prefix, so enter the number that way if you have it. If you do not have a case number, a party name will often pull up the record. Keep in mind that the office can confirm a result and turn it into a certified copy when you need proof.
What you will need depends on how much you already know. At a minimum, have the names of both spouses. A rough date or year helps narrow a common name. With a case number in hand, the lookup is faster still.
How to Find Bucks County Divorce Records
Divorce records in Bucks County are civil and family records, and they are held by the Prothonotary, not the Register of Wills. The Prothonotary lists "Divorce Matters" among its duties, so this is the office that tracks the case from filing to decree. You can reach the Family Division by phone at 215-348-6822 for help with a file. Family Court documents themselves are not posted online, which is the rule that trips up most searchers.
There are two main ways to find docket information. You can search the statewide court portal, or you can use the county Web Viewer. The portal shows the docket, while the Web Viewer lets you search Family cases by a matter code. Use the code D for Divorce when you search Family in the viewer. Either way, the documents stay offline, and copies come from the office. The steps below outline the path.
- Search the Pennsylvania UJS Case Search for docket information, keeping in mind the remote limits on common-pleas civil and family files.
- Search the county Web Viewer with the Court set to Family and the matter code set to D, while remembering that documents are not available online.
- Contact the Prothonotary Family Division at 215-348-6822 to request certified copies of a decree or agreement.
- Follow the confidential-information rules, and keep Social Security numbers, account numbers, minor details, and protected victim contact information out of public filings.
A Pennsylvania divorce can take more than one path. It may be no-fault by consent, no-fault after a period of separation, or fault-based. The case can also fold in equitable distribution of property, alimony, custody, and support. That is why a divorce file may be thick, and why much of it stays out of public view. For the full court framework, the Court of Common Pleas hears these matters in its Family Division.
Getting Certified Copies
A plain printout is fine for a quick check, but courts, agencies, and many employers want a certified copy. Certified means the office confirms the document is a true copy of the record on file. For a marriage certificate, that certified copy comes from the Register of Wills and follows the office's certification fees. Plan on the $25 certification charge plus $1 per page.
For a divorce decree or settlement agreement, the certified copy comes from the Prothonotary Family Division instead. Because divorce documents are not online, you cannot just print one and call it certified. Call the Family Division at 215-348-6822 to ask how to order, what it costs, and how long it takes. Have the case number or the names ready when you call, since that speeds the search.
Pennsylvania Vital Records Office
People often expect a single state vital records office to hold every life-event record. In Pennsylvania, that is not how marriage and divorce work. Marriage records are kept at the county level by the Register of Wills, and divorce records are kept at the county level by the Prothonotary. This differs from birth and death records, which the Pennsylvania Department of Health handles at the state level. So for a Bucks County marriage or divorce, the copy comes from the county, not from a state vital records line.
That means there is no separate state portal to chase for these two record types. Start and finish with the right Bucks County office. The Register of Wills handles marriage, and the Prothonotary handles divorce. The contact card below points to the marriage side, which is the more common request.
Bucks County Register of Wills and Clerk of Orphans' Court
Bucks County Administration Building
55 East Court Street
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-348-6000